What sort of jobs or works to you have? Which is your favorite to use? Why do you like it?

Montessorians teach their students that everyone has “jobs” to do. Mommy’s jobs are…., Daddy’s jobs are …. . Children’s jobs are to learn. The materials in the classroom that help us learn are therefore called “jobs” (some schools use the word “works”.) By asking, “What kind of jobs are at your school”, you get insight into what sort of things the children are learning about.

Note: Things like coloring a picture in a coloring book are not “jobs”, they are “activities”. Activities should not be done during work time. (As I type this I know that some “jobs” include coloring. In this case the child will probably respond with something like, “I like coloring the lateral line on the fish job.” The vocabulary used should let you know that this isn’t just a coloring activity.